Page 66 - Healthcare News Sep/Oct 2022

Elms
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already nurse educators, and many were working in various hospitals. Some had bachelor’s degrees, while others had a master’s.
The common denominator was that they wanted to take their education, and their ability to train others, to a higher level.
School of Thought
Nunes told HCN that the shift to remote learning in Haiti was similar to what was happening at Elms College and other schools in this country during the pandemic. But there were many subtle, and not so subtle, nuances and adjustments that had to be made.
“Each week, on Wednesday afternoons, we met with
the students via Zoom,” she explained. “We had to adjust our course time because, once darkness comes, it becomes much more dangerous. It became an example of the ways we had to work with our students to make sure we were not only providing them with a great education, but also keep- ing them safe.”
Overall, the nurse educators displayed great resilience, she went on, and a strong desire to learn, despite the many challenges they are facing in their daily lives, because they understood its importance to them becoming better educa- tors and nurses — and perhaps advancing in their careers.
This resilience, desire to learn, dedication to helping oth- ers, and the knowledge and experience they already brought to the table certainly made an impression on those at Elms.
“Speaking with them, it was just fascinating to learn the way Haitian medicine and nursing care is delivered, and the
amount of experience these nurses have is incredible,” Nunes told HCN. “For me, as an educator, I feel I learned so much from them in addition to what they learned from us.”
As she talked about what was taught, and how, Nunes said there was prepared curriculum, obviously, but those leading the courses would often take their cues from the students, the nurse educators.
“One of the courses I taught was ‘Health Assessment,’ and in the beginning, we asked them, ‘what do you want?’ she recalled. “One of the things they identified was mater- nal health, but one of the things that surprised me was that they wanted to know more about how to use a stethoscope because, in Haiti, they said, the physicians do that.
“But they wanted to become more competent as nurses and develop that skill, so we were able to provide resources online, such as videos that demonstrated the sounds they’d hear and where to listen, things like that. In the develop- ment of our curriculum, we wanted to integrate knowledge in addition to keeping the focus on how to teach this knowledge.”
This same approach is being used with the third cohort of nursing educators, which just began its course work sev- eral weeks ago. This latest chapter in the story has provided more insight into the many challenges to be overcome,
and more lessons in perseverance, said Maryann Matrow, director of the School of Nursing Operations at Elms and project co-manager for the Haiti Nursing Continuing Education Program.
She noted, for example, that some students were held
up on the road as they traveled to the kickoff for the third cohort, but eventually made it there safely. She also noted some the difficulties in getting new models of laptops to the students that will be using them.
“Once we found and ordered it, things began to get more difficult in terms of travel and delivery,” she said. “As for
the kickoff ceremony ... to be able to get the people there was trying.”
Despite all this, the attrition rates for the first two co- horts were extremely low, only a few students, said Matrow, adding that she attributes this to everything from that thirst for knowledge that all those involved recognized to the strong support system involving those in both Haiti and Chicopee that has helped students make it to the finish line.
For Duvernat, the challenges involved in taking part
in this program went beyond transportation, navigating around extreme weather, and coping with crime. She also had a baby during the course and was working full-time as well, adding up to a juggling act and very stern test that she and others have passed.
“Life in Haiti is very stressful,” she said through Mistivar. “Every day, people have to deal with that stress, which makes them resilient and able to adapt. I was motivated to continue to attend the class because it was something that was very important to me. I tried to focus on the experience because I did not want to miss the opportunity.”
Bottom Line
While there are many words and phrases that can be used the describe the Haiti Nursing Continuing Education Program, including all those in its title, ‘opportunity’ prob- ably sums it up the best.
For those in Haiti, it is an opportunity to continue their education and, as Duvernat said, learn how to become better teachers. Meanwhile, for Elms College, it is a chance to extend its reach and its ability to make a difference in the lives of others, well beyond Chicopee and Western Mass.
In short, it has become a learning experience on many levels and for all those involved. It is a compelling story that hopefully has many new chapters still to be written. v
Pharmacy
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“We knew that, across Massachusettts and everywhere else, there are thousands
of healthcare employees in entry and mid- level positions who lack sufficient access to education entry. They lack skill-building opportunities that are practical to full-time workers,” said Karen Shack, associate direc- tor of Commonwealth Corp. “Similarly, employers, healthcare employers in these industries, face a lot of workforce shortages. The issue and purpose of this project was not just because of the lack of traditional education opportunities for entry-level workers, but to address the feasibility of participating in these offerings, which was tough for a lot of workers.”
In her speech at a Sept. 23 event to celebrate the success of the pharmacy tech- nician training program partnership, Shack noted that traditional, classroom-based programs with high tuition and empha-
sis on seat time don’t always work as a feasible option for full time workers; they’re often too expensive or difficult to access. Frequently, the courses are scheduled dur- ing times that are impossible for full-time workers, especially those with families.
A lot of the students in the new HCC
toward jobs as pharmacy technicians, creat- ing lifelong opportunities.
there are thousands of healthcare employees in entry and mid-level positions who lack sufficient access to education entry. They lack skill-building opportunities that are practical to full-time workers.”
Grundel, HCC’s assistant healthcare proj- ect coordinator. “While working full-time, they spent an additional 15 hours a week over five months training to become phar- macy technicians. They really endured.”
Priceless Opportunity
Brianna Gaynor, a student graduating from the program, heartily agreed.
“This is definitely the best thing to
put out into the hospital,” she said. “My father’s disabled. It’s a really low-income household. I have two siblings. So for this program to be offered at zero dollars, zero payment, it opened the door for so many people to be able to have that opportunity to take the next step to get out of environ- mental services, patient transport, all of those things that don’t require an educa- tion. It gave those people the chance at an education.”
Santiago said she would certainly recom- mend the program, praising not only the education she received, but, more impor- tantly, the support, which she has contin- ued to receive in her quest to become an at-home nurse.
You might say the program has inspired her to continue in her mother’s footsteps, which, as she now realizes, is much more than counting and handing out pills. v
program were already working for Holyoke Medical Center or Baystate Medical Center as they entered into this training. They
Hayden told HCN that, with the vol- ume of jobs available at businesses like
we“
Across Massachusettts and everywhere else,
re finding time to study and learn while
still trying to keep up with the increasing demand for help at the hospitals.
“We had to expand some of the timelines and adjust the schedule to meet that real- ity,” said Kermit Dunkelberg, assistant vice president of Workforce Development at HCC. “Some people didn’t stay with it for various reasons, so those that stuck it out not only went through a really rigorous and demanding academic program, but did it during the middle of a pandemic, working in an industry where they were on the front lines and needed every single day; it was absolutely amazing.”
The program boasts a roughly 90% re- tention rate for training internal employees
acute-care hospitals like Baystate or retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS, the opportunity is there for job seekers and this unique program — not only to find a new career, but to advance in a growing occupation. Ten out of the 20 students who finished the program have obtained their national certifications as pharmacy technicians, which boosts starting wages in the field 11% higher, not including $4,000 retention bonuses.
“The students previously did not have a background in the pharmacy field, but instead were working for the hospitals in other areas such as transportation, house- keeping, and dining services,” said Sharon
26 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022